Loose-leaf-binder device.



W. B. CAIN.

-OOSE LEAF BENDER DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-27, 1915.

Patented Jan. 9, 12 1?.

WILLIAM B. CAIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF-BINDER DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. CAIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose Lea f- Binder Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to loose leaf binders and has more partlcular reference to means for conveniently handling them and for readily determining the contents thereof when the binders are in stored position.

In modern business practice, it is customary to make manifold copies of orders, shop tickets, invoices, etc., upon perforated sheets,

and to preserve at least one thereof to constitute a complete ofiice record. In relatively large businesses thousands upon thousands of these sheets soon accumulate and it is customary to place them in relatively inexpensive loose leaf binders generally called transfer binders. As it is necessary at times to refer to these sheets for the purpose of confirming a previous order, possibly several years old, or to secure other data from such sheets, many volumes of these transfer binders must be stored for convenient access. This is usually done by placing the transfer binders in rows upon shelves, with the backs thereof exposed to view so that they may be pulled from the shelf. The backs of these transfer binders are simply the rear ends of the sheets which form a rough and uneven surface. No means have hitherto been provided whereby the contents of such transfer binders can be determined by simply glancing at the back of the binder. While it is customary to have an index in the transfer binder, or possibly a label of some sort upon the face or cover, these are not available without first pulling the binder from the shelf, as they are hidden from view. Hence, it is often necessary to remove and examine a considerable number of transfer binders before the desired one is secured, and, as these transfer binders are heavy bulky books, they are extremely inconvenient to handle. It is particularly inconvenient to get the books started or slightly removed from position in a line of similar and closely associated transfer binders because they are so wide that it is almost impossible to span them with a single hand. Furthermore, the stored position of the books upon shelves one Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 19%.

above the other makes it impracticable to grasp them with two hands. In short, the hitherto customary method of determining where a given order blank or other sheet may be and getting the binder from the shelf to examine it .is extremely slow, tedious, and inconvenient.

The general object of my invention is to provide means whereby the contentsof loose leaf binders of this character can be readily ascertained from the usual stored back exposed position.

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby loose leaf binders can be quickly and easily pulled from the stored position on the shelf.

Other objects of my invention are to provide means for indexing the contents of loose leaf transfer binders and for easily removing them from stored position which shall be strong, durable, and inexpensive; to provide means which can be quickly and easily applied to standard transfer binders; to provide means Which will serve the combined function of a handle and an index; to provide means which will not in any wise interfere with the expeditious use of the book after it has been removed from the shelf.

My invention consists generally in a device of the novel form, arrangement, and construction, whereby the above named objects, together withv others which will appear hereinafter, are attainable.

My invention will be more readily unde rstood by reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view, in elevation, showing the customary manner of storing a plurality of transfer binders upon a shelf. Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating de vices embodying my invention attached to the binders. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention apart from the binder with which it is formed to co-act. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, slightly fied device embodying my invention. Fig. 8 illustrates a further modification of my invention; and Fig. 9 illustrates a still further modification of my invention.

In the drawings 1 represents a typical loose leaf binder, generally referred to as a transfer binder, ha ving cover members 2 and 2, posts 3 secured to the member 2 and extending through complementary recesses in the cover member 2.

4 represents the loose leaf sheets which are threaded upon the posts 3 and bound tightly between the cover members by suitable devices 5. In this instance the members 5 are simple thumb screws. It is customary, as before stated, to store these binders upon shelves 1 as indicated in Fig. 1, the back 6 being exposed to view. The backs are simply the edges of one end of the sheets. When a given order blank is desired it has been hitherto necessary to pull one of the binders from the shelf to see whether it is the desired one, and if not, to replace it and so continue until the desired one is found. It is not practicable to paste a label upon the back edges of the sheets because they are not bound securely enough together, and because the surface is rough and uneven. I solve the difficulty by providing a device Which can be readily attached to the binder in such manner that it will expose to view an index card stating the contents of the binder, and which I so form that it may also be used as a handle for conveniently removing the binder from the stored position upon the shelf.

I shall first describe the form of my invention shown in Figs. 2 to '6 inclusive. To form this device I fold a piece of rigid material, preferably metal, back upon itself thus forming two generally rectangular portions 10 and 11 which are slightly spaced one from the other, forming an intermediate space 12 of a width adapted to receive a suitable index card 13, containing desired inscriptions 14L indicative of the contents of the binder to which the device is attached. The inscription 1 1 is exposed to view by cutting away a portion of the sheet 11, forming a suitable opening 15. An extension 16 of the sheet I bend at right angles to the face portions 10 and 11 and therein I form pairs of slots 17 and 18. These slots are spaced apart so that the pair 17 is adapted to straddle binding posts of one spaced relation, and the slots 18 to straddle binding posts spaced a lesser distance apart. It will be readily understood that the extension 16 can be shoved either between the sheets in the binder, by slightly loosening the binding screws, or can be placed directly under or over the cover if desired. The form under consideration is designed for placement close to one of the covers, and for this reason the extension 16 is relatively close to the edge 19. This, it will be understood, is to prevent the edge 17 from projecting unduly beyond the side of the binder, which it might do if the extension 16 were in the middle of the face portions and if the face portions were relatively wide. The slots 17 and 18 comprise entrant portions 20 and operating portions 21. This construction enables the placing of the device without removal of either the sheets or covers, as the slot portion 20 can be first slid over the posts and then the device moved to bring the posts into the operating slots 21. The slots 21 are of such length and so positioned relative to the face members 10 and 11 that the face members can be shoved flat against the ends of the sheets 4, forming the end of the binder, and, when it is desired to remove the binder, can be slightly withdrawn therefrom, as indicated in Fig. 6, thus serving as a handle whereby the binder can be conveniently pulled with one hand from its position on the shelf among a number of binders. Furthermore, the device does not interfere with the opening of the binder and inspection of the sheets, because it can be readily replaced into intimate relation with the binder back or sheet ends.

In order that the index card can be readily moved in the slot 12, I prefer to cut an opening 13 in the portion 10. This opening, in conjunction with the opening 15 in the member 11, permits the card to be gripped upon both sides and conveniently inserted or removed.

While the embodiment. of my invention thus far described is designed to enable use near one cover ofthe binder, it may obviously be inserted in the middle of the back of the binder, if desired, by simply loosening the binder to form a suflicient space for its accommodation between the sheets. However, when it is desired to place the device in the middle of the back, I prefer to use the modified form shown in Fig. 7. In this construction, I form the binder entering and engaging portion 30, in the middle of the face portions 31 and 32, as there is no danger of one side of the face projecting beyond the cover of the binder even though the face portions be relatively wide. In forming the device shown in Fig. 7 from a sheet of metal, I fold opposite end portions of the sheet back upon itself thus forming the symmetrical face member 32, and the extreme opposite ends of the sheet I fold at right angles to the face portion 32 and centrally of the face 31, thus forming a two layer metallic binder entrant and engaging portion 30. This construction can be made rigid with very light material, because of its symmetrical form.

All forms of my invention thus far described are adapted for attachment to the binder without removing the binder cover miners This construction is slightly more simple,

but, in order to attach it, the binder screws, the binder screws and cover, or the binder screws, cover, and a number of sheets mustbe removed, depending upon the desired position of the device.

Where the device is of metal and the hinders are to be opened upon polished desks, I prefer to glue a facing 42, of non-metallic material, to the device, cutting a suitable opening 43 to disclose the index card, omitting the glue along a portion 44 to permit the insertion of the card. With this construction it becomes unnecessary to cut the metal for'the purpose of exposing the card, thereby increasing the rigidity of the device.

While the index card in the forms of my invention thus far described is exposed to view through an opening, I may provide other suitable means of olding the index 'card in place. In the modified embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 9 I strike up ton cs 50 from the body of the metal under WhlCh the edges of the index card can be slip ed. With this construction a single thic ess of metal serves for the entire construction.

Inasmuch as this disclosure of my invention will readily suggest to others modified devices whereby the substantial objects and.

purposes of my invention may be attained, I do not wish to be limited to the specific constructions herein shown and described, except as may be necessary by limitations in the hereunto appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, a binder entrant and engagingportion, and a face portion, the binder entrant portion being formed with elongated slots for coaction with the binding posts of a binder and positioned to admit limited movement of the face portion to and from the binder.

2. In a device of the class described, a binder entrant and engaging portion and a face portion, the binder entrant and engaging portion being formed for attachment to a binder, and a non-metallic member on the face portion, said member being formed to receive and expose an index card.

3. In a device of the class described, a face portion and a binder entrant and engaging portion, said binder entrant and engaging portion being formed with elongated slots for co-action with binding osts of difi'erent spaced relations and positioned to admit limited movement of the face portion to and from the binder back.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 22nd day of December, 1915, in the presence of two subscribin witnesses.

WILL i- CAIN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR WM. NEISON, JonN R. Lnrnvnn. 

